Hollywood Theatre
2846 N. 22nd Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19132
2846 N. 22nd Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19132
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Irvin R. Glazer’s hardback book on Philadelphia theatres specifies that this theatre was built as the Apollo Theatre in 1912, and in 1923 it was refurbished, including a new organ to accompany silent features, and renamed Elrae Theatre. In October 1935, the theatre became the Hollywood Theatre. It closed on March 11, 1950 with Humphrey Bogart in “Tokyo Joe”. It became the New Hollywood Cleaners in 1951. As of 2020, Google Street View shows there is still a vertical sign that says ‘Hollywood’, on the building, a rarity in these days for former Philadelphia movie theatres.
A photograph in the photo section of this theatre shows 12 members of the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team appearing live at the Hollywood Theatre in 1936 to give away free baseballs at a showing of “There’s Always Tomorrow”. The Jack H. Greenberg and Melvin Fox chains were among its operators.
Contributed by
RickB, Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Philadelphia zoning document archives indicate the conversion to a dry cleaner/tailor occurred circa 1951, earlier than previously believed.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/lni-zoning-pdfs/219-47931.pdf
Last Inquirer listing for the Hollywood looks like March 11, 1950, with “Tokyo Joe” on the screen.
Currently a dry cleaner.
This house is one of two listed as the Elrae Theatre in the 1926 Film Daily Year Book, the other being the former Apollo and future Ritz Theatre on Orthodox Street. The name Elrae is a reversed spelling of the name Earle, and it is possible that financier George C. Earle had something to do with these two houses.
In 1923 Earle financed the construction of the movie palace that opened in 1924 bearing his name. At least one early report about that project said that it was to be named the Elrae Theatre in his honor, but somehow that name ended up on these two lesser theaters instead. It’s a bit sad that though the buildings these two neighborhood houses occupied have survived all these decades, the splendid Earle was demolished less than thirty years after opening its doors.